raj1998
04-21 09:51 AM
City of Houston eGovernment Center (http://www.houstontx.gov/)
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lonedesi
06-26 03:30 PM
Does IV have a summarized copy of the new proposed bill and the amendments?If you do, can you please post it for our understanding of the pros/cons of this bill
GC20??
08-24 04:47 PM
any updates on status of background processing for your 485 ?
No updates yet. Though I know its useless I am taking an infopass tomorrow and will have IO open a service request.
No updates yet. Though I know its useless I am taking an infopass tomorrow and will have IO open a service request.
2011 When it comes of right eyes
Rajeev
09-16 02:46 PM
Done
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gc_chahiye
10-29 11:11 PM
Hi,
I got my EAD one day before my H1 expiration. What do I need to do if I want to work on EAD and what form do I need to fill and provide to my employer. As currently my Attorney messed up my H1 status. He sent my H extension to a wrong service center i.e. California and they sent the application back saying they no more process H extensions and we need to apply to a different service center i.e. Vermont. My H expired on 10/11/07 and my Attorney received the H documents back from California Service Center on 10/26/07.
As I asked my Attorney to send the H extension to the right service center with a proof of that he applied on time but was sent to the wrong Service Center. As I don't want to abonden my H status.
My only worries are what if H extension is not approved in that case what will happen to my 485 and EAD i.e. valid from 10/10/2007-10/09/2008. What will be my options then. As I don't want to take any chances specially at this stage. Please advice what to do in this case as my Attorney looks like is not that smart.
Need some advice as to should I just start working on EAD and not wait for the H extension response or should I wait for the response.
Any feedbacks are appreciated.
Thanks
first of all, your EAD and 485 are not impacted by any of these H1 mix-ups from your lawyer. So relax.
You can start working on EAD now and wait for the H1 approval to come through. Whne it does come through, youll need ot leave the US, get a visa stamp and come back in to activate the H1 (if you need H1 status for some reason like you are unmarried and will need to bring spouse on H4).
If you are really paranoid, stop working right now and do the H1 in premium processing. If USCIS grants the extension of status (you get new I-94) continue working on that, you are all set. Otherwise at that point you can start on EAD or leave-get_stamped-return, whatever you want.
To move to EAD you need to file a new I-9 with the employer.
I got my EAD one day before my H1 expiration. What do I need to do if I want to work on EAD and what form do I need to fill and provide to my employer. As currently my Attorney messed up my H1 status. He sent my H extension to a wrong service center i.e. California and they sent the application back saying they no more process H extensions and we need to apply to a different service center i.e. Vermont. My H expired on 10/11/07 and my Attorney received the H documents back from California Service Center on 10/26/07.
As I asked my Attorney to send the H extension to the right service center with a proof of that he applied on time but was sent to the wrong Service Center. As I don't want to abonden my H status.
My only worries are what if H extension is not approved in that case what will happen to my 485 and EAD i.e. valid from 10/10/2007-10/09/2008. What will be my options then. As I don't want to take any chances specially at this stage. Please advice what to do in this case as my Attorney looks like is not that smart.
Need some advice as to should I just start working on EAD and not wait for the H extension response or should I wait for the response.
Any feedbacks are appreciated.
Thanks
first of all, your EAD and 485 are not impacted by any of these H1 mix-ups from your lawyer. So relax.
You can start working on EAD now and wait for the H1 approval to come through. Whne it does come through, youll need ot leave the US, get a visa stamp and come back in to activate the H1 (if you need H1 status for some reason like you are unmarried and will need to bring spouse on H4).
If you are really paranoid, stop working right now and do the H1 in premium processing. If USCIS grants the extension of status (you get new I-94) continue working on that, you are all set. Otherwise at that point you can start on EAD or leave-get_stamped-return, whatever you want.
To move to EAD you need to file a new I-9 with the employer.
bigboy007
12-10 02:56 PM
Please consider contributing IV...IV need your help to resolve our immigration problems.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15905
Oh definately no worries i am going to contribute + i have requested 20 of my friends to join IV and participate the funding drive. I am comitted to IV
any more ideas on my question please reg. 140 porting i am not sure .. and if we dont have to intimate USCIS. Help me out
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15905
Oh definately no worries i am going to contribute + i have requested 20 of my friends to join IV and participate the funding drive. I am comitted to IV
any more ideas on my question please reg. 140 porting i am not sure .. and if we dont have to intimate USCIS. Help me out
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ragz4u
04-13 10:07 PM
My point exactly.
So then maybe the wait is only the 3 months (90 days) that Sen Sessions wishes to impose, correct?
I just cannot recollect where I had read that the law has to be published somewhere and there is 90 days delay (when someone can comment if necessary) and only then it becomes a law. I could be absolutely wrong though
Also, Sessions was able to get an amendment passed last time since SJC was in a tearing hurry. That might not be the case this time and they might want to implement this bill soon to 'stem the flow across the borders'. Personally I cannot wait for some new bill to take effect.
I really wish that you are right about the first point and I am right about the second ;-)
So then maybe the wait is only the 3 months (90 days) that Sen Sessions wishes to impose, correct?
I just cannot recollect where I had read that the law has to be published somewhere and there is 90 days delay (when someone can comment if necessary) and only then it becomes a law. I could be absolutely wrong though
Also, Sessions was able to get an amendment passed last time since SJC was in a tearing hurry. That might not be the case this time and they might want to implement this bill soon to 'stem the flow across the borders'. Personally I cannot wait for some new bill to take effect.
I really wish that you are right about the first point and I am right about the second ;-)
2010 Bright Eyes
guygeek007
07-31 11:03 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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hopefulgc
07-31 04:10 PM
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TeddyKoochu
10-15 08:29 AM
Teddy
Is there any source on any site which gives idea that they are thinking of it. Since we have close to 800 members who joined for filling 485 when date is not current we can ask IV core to make this campaign officially and push for this one. Even we know 800 are not a good strength still it may help if govt is willing
gc_on_demand - Here are the links from other sites.
From Ron Gotcher's Forum
http://www.immigration-information.com/forums/general-immigration-questions/10321-uscis-considering-permit-pre-filing-i-485-applications-approved-i-140-a.html
I could not find anything on any official site. There are blogs going on all popular immigration sites on this topic.
I believe that since the agencies are thinking about this provision (Even though this has been in the news since a year) has better likelihood of being implemented.
skgs200,aksharan, cbpds the EAD / AP part appears to be disputed nobody is clear on this. Yes there maybe a fee for this but it does bring us a step closer.
Is there any source on any site which gives idea that they are thinking of it. Since we have close to 800 members who joined for filling 485 when date is not current we can ask IV core to make this campaign officially and push for this one. Even we know 800 are not a good strength still it may help if govt is willing
gc_on_demand - Here are the links from other sites.
From Ron Gotcher's Forum
http://www.immigration-information.com/forums/general-immigration-questions/10321-uscis-considering-permit-pre-filing-i-485-applications-approved-i-140-a.html
I could not find anything on any official site. There are blogs going on all popular immigration sites on this topic.
I believe that since the agencies are thinking about this provision (Even though this has been in the news since a year) has better likelihood of being implemented.
skgs200,aksharan, cbpds the EAD / AP part appears to be disputed nobody is clear on this. Yes there maybe a fee for this but it does bring us a step closer.
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BimmerFAn
06-15 05:42 PM
Hey, I would like to help you but I know next to nothing about J-1 Physician waivers. It is a completely different system. My understanding that the best way to get a waiver is to go through the Conrad 30 program if your wife works in a hospital in an underserved area. I would encourage you look through this forum for individuals who would know more about the process. Likewise, I would also suggest that you consult with an attorney. I used one of the best attorney firms in the world and it was relatively inexpensive. Attorneys really do wonders in these cases bacause they understand this process inside and out and know exactly what the Department of State is looking for.
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
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vxg
09-08 03:01 PM
Got the cards in the mail. My online case status says the application is still pending.
Folks (those whose PDs are current this month),
Check with your attorney, in your mail boxes along with the online USCIS case status. You may get the good news in your mail box or from your attorney's office before your status is updated online.
This is what my attorney had to say:
The USCIS online status system is maintained by contract workers and is often inaccurate.
Thanks for starting this. I am in same boat, i called TSC and the IO told me my case was approved on 9/4/09 and i have an LUD on 9/4/09 however online status says case pending. I asked that to the IO and she says she does not know about the online status but in there system it is approved. I did that after i received a call from an IO from local field office ( i went for Infopass last week at local office) informing that my and my wife's cases were approved on 9/4/09.
I am hoping to get the cards as have to travel to India next week. The IO in Texas advised me to get the Passport stamped.
Folks (those whose PDs are current this month),
Check with your attorney, in your mail boxes along with the online USCIS case status. You may get the good news in your mail box or from your attorney's office before your status is updated online.
This is what my attorney had to say:
The USCIS online status system is maintained by contract workers and is often inaccurate.
Thanks for starting this. I am in same boat, i called TSC and the IO told me my case was approved on 9/4/09 and i have an LUD on 9/4/09 however online status says case pending. I asked that to the IO and she says she does not know about the online status but in there system it is approved. I did that after i received a call from an IO from local field office ( i went for Infopass last week at local office) informing that my and my wife's cases were approved on 9/4/09.
I am hoping to get the cards as have to travel to India next week. The IO in Texas advised me to get the Passport stamped.
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gcdreamer05
10-28 02:40 PM
Folks,
Iam starting this new thread so that people will know what are the pros and cons leaving a company once GC is approved.
1.What are all the things to be noted while leaving the company after getting GC.
2.To be specific how long a consultant should be with company after GC is approved.
3.Also once GC is approved and if the consultant is off the payroll for say 2 to 3 months will there be any problem while filing for citizen ship.
There is alreayd a thread in IV forums explaining in detail and discussing the pros and cons of this, please refer that......
Iam starting this new thread so that people will know what are the pros and cons leaving a company once GC is approved.
1.What are all the things to be noted while leaving the company after getting GC.
2.To be specific how long a consultant should be with company after GC is approved.
3.Also once GC is approved and if the consultant is off the payroll for say 2 to 3 months will there be any problem while filing for citizen ship.
There is alreayd a thread in IV forums explaining in detail and discussing the pros and cons of this, please refer that......
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sagar_nyc
04-21 02:03 PM
Actually GC on L1 can be really much faster because GC processing on L1 comes under special EB1 category. So if you are willing to take risk of loosing job on L1. I will recommend to go for GC under L1.
Hi greeta,
I am not sure about time frame for GC but FREEDOM is more important for me. The market is not good, if you loose the job in L1 then you have to leave
to your home country and cannot transfer your visa. If it's H1 you can always do that.
If at all there is a difference in processing times for GC for L1, i don't see any drastic difference. Instead of 6 years it may be 5 years (6 years for GC? Are you kidding me?). No big deal.
Good luck.
Rgds,
Kris
Hi greeta,
I am not sure about time frame for GC but FREEDOM is more important for me. The market is not good, if you loose the job in L1 then you have to leave
to your home country and cannot transfer your visa. If it's H1 you can always do that.
If at all there is a difference in processing times for GC for L1, i don't see any drastic difference. Instead of 6 years it may be 5 years (6 years for GC? Are you kidding me?). No big deal.
Good luck.
Rgds,
Kris
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srikanthmavurapu
08-16 03:25 PM
which state your employer belongs to?
its in Virginia
its in Virginia
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ArunAntonio
02-20 06:13 PM
guys, why even bother waste your time on this. Please help IV gear up a movement to end retrogression. Please donate, make other IV aware...and send in ur stories......How do u think number crunching will help us....apart from making us feel worse.
Jonty,
I disagree, Number crunching if it can give the members an idea of how long it will take to get the GC will motivate them beyond any thing else. If ppl can see the unreasonable amount of time we have to wait before any thing can happen will make force them to take some action. So if any one can make sense of the numbers and if it is reliable please post it for the benifit of others.
Jonty,
I disagree, Number crunching if it can give the members an idea of how long it will take to get the GC will motivate them beyond any thing else. If ppl can see the unreasonable amount of time we have to wait before any thing can happen will make force them to take some action. So if any one can make sense of the numbers and if it is reliable please post it for the benifit of others.
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keerthi
04-04 03:10 PM
Thanks for that reply. The company's business line is very niche and it started developing a technology for that niche market in India some 5 years back. I have been involved in the design and implementation of that technology right from its inception. In fact I am one of the core persons who designed and implemented the solution.
Our customer base is increasing in the US. This is one of the reasons why I need to be transferred to the US. Several of our customers are coming up with unique requirements and it requires me to analyze them before providing them a solution. Also, some features of the technology are governed by a large set of exacting standards put forth by a consortium in the US. I am one of the members of that consortium and my presence cum contribution for my company in this regard is very much required.
I possess extensive knowledge of my company's specific technology and software skills which are very rare (we do low level software development - not the ones that large software companies do). Also, there are only a handful of companies who deal with this market. I believe this should ideally classify me as a person having "specialized knowledge".
Am I right?
Our customer base is increasing in the US. This is one of the reasons why I need to be transferred to the US. Several of our customers are coming up with unique requirements and it requires me to analyze them before providing them a solution. Also, some features of the technology are governed by a large set of exacting standards put forth by a consortium in the US. I am one of the members of that consortium and my presence cum contribution for my company in this regard is very much required.
I possess extensive knowledge of my company's specific technology and software skills which are very rare (we do low level software development - not the ones that large software companies do). Also, there are only a handful of companies who deal with this market. I believe this should ideally classify me as a person having "specialized knowledge".
Am I right?
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amsgc
04-02 08:43 PM
The deal is: GC application is for a future job offer. That means, the company that files for your GC tells the USCIS that they will employ you in the xyz position once you get the green card.
According to the law, you are not required to have worked for that employer at all. Therefore, yes, you can get an employment letter from any employer (180 days after filing I-485), as long as the offer is bonafide, the job is full time & permanent, and the job duties & occupation is similar to the one mentioned in your labor certification.
Technically, you can work for a company like TekSystems on EAD, and when time comes, provide USCIS with a bonafide employment letter from any company that wants to hire you when you get the GC.
Now, some people have raised concerns over the question of "intent". How do you reinforce the fact that you indeed intend to join the new employer when you get the GC? For this reason, when people switch jobs using AC21, they generally go to work for a company that will give them the employement letter.
Ofcourse, the above discussion is in light of what we know today. The USCIS is working on modifying some of the provisions, so things may change a bit in the near future.
Ams
Does that mean a person can't work for companies like TekSystems on EAD? Senior members, please advice. I would like to switch from my desi employer and join the vendor directly as there is a big pay difference. Any information will be greatly appreciated.
According to the law, you are not required to have worked for that employer at all. Therefore, yes, you can get an employment letter from any employer (180 days after filing I-485), as long as the offer is bonafide, the job is full time & permanent, and the job duties & occupation is similar to the one mentioned in your labor certification.
Technically, you can work for a company like TekSystems on EAD, and when time comes, provide USCIS with a bonafide employment letter from any company that wants to hire you when you get the GC.
Now, some people have raised concerns over the question of "intent". How do you reinforce the fact that you indeed intend to join the new employer when you get the GC? For this reason, when people switch jobs using AC21, they generally go to work for a company that will give them the employement letter.
Ofcourse, the above discussion is in light of what we know today. The USCIS is working on modifying some of the provisions, so things may change a bit in the near future.
Ams
Does that mean a person can't work for companies like TekSystems on EAD? Senior members, please advice. I would like to switch from my desi employer and join the vendor directly as there is a big pay difference. Any information will be greatly appreciated.
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GCapplicant
10-12 04:17 PM
I am a June 25th filer, and i got my receipt for 485/131/765 on Sept 10th and haven't received any EAD or AP and no LUD as well forget about FP. I called TSC multiple time and was told first to wait till 90 days of filling ,then 30 days past receipt now 4 more weeks; since they are heavily backlogged busy in issuing receipts for 485 filer.
When i contacted my lawyer he told me the same he is still waiting for the receipts for some of his clients who filed in July/August and reassured me that if or when a receipt is issued he will also get a receipt notice, and will contact me ... so don't worry to much regarding FP misplacement and relax it will come... after all it is National security, if the US is not concerned regarding it then why should you .;)
By the way my PD is March,2003
How come TSC is slow in yr case?Try giving a call to them if you get helpful IO its good.I was thinking guys who are in TSC are lucky.
infact mine is from Nebraska...my A # numbers are changed...First name Last name my lawyer has made a confusion thats also wrong interchanged.As I have EAD adjudicated I have to pay new fees for new EAD with corrected name accepting my mistake of filing with interchanged names. Thats what IO told me yesterday.
Most of my friends in NYC-applied in TSC July 2...They have got evertything by Aug end infact some of them have done FP too in sep.
I am waiting for FP so that I can request them for correction too.
Sorry for writing blah blah blah....
When i contacted my lawyer he told me the same he is still waiting for the receipts for some of his clients who filed in July/August and reassured me that if or when a receipt is issued he will also get a receipt notice, and will contact me ... so don't worry to much regarding FP misplacement and relax it will come... after all it is National security, if the US is not concerned regarding it then why should you .;)
By the way my PD is March,2003
How come TSC is slow in yr case?Try giving a call to them if you get helpful IO its good.I was thinking guys who are in TSC are lucky.
infact mine is from Nebraska...my A # numbers are changed...First name Last name my lawyer has made a confusion thats also wrong interchanged.As I have EAD adjudicated I have to pay new fees for new EAD with corrected name accepting my mistake of filing with interchanged names. Thats what IO told me yesterday.
Most of my friends in NYC-applied in TSC July 2...They have got evertything by Aug end infact some of them have done FP too in sep.
I am waiting for FP so that I can request them for correction too.
Sorry for writing blah blah blah....
nixstor
12-01 04:09 PM
Thanks for your input guys. can the job description be changed now for an labor petition that has been filed before? My lawyer made me fill a questionnare and lot of other things about what I do. She picked up main lines from my resume and filled it up on my job description.
jasonalbany
07-04 12:28 PM
Access to Job Market in U.S. a Matter of Degrees
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
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